Tour of Jordan Part 3: Dead Sea, Madaba, and Mt. Nebo

The final stop on our tour of Jordan was to the Dead Sea, Madaba and Mt. Nebo. It was really chilly in Wadi Rum and Petra, but the Dead is at least 20 degrees warmer and it was just about right to get in the Sea and pool! I was so excited for my parents and brother to see the Sea for the first time. Mom contemplating mudding up and getting in!

Dad said it was a bit cold for him, but mom got in and floated....and even tried to swim....let's just say the lifeguard earned his pay that day!

Aaron loved floating and we do too.

And so did Caleb, so proud of him for getting in the chilly water. Benjamin decided to hang out in the shower and help every sea-goer shower off, hahaha!

Fun to rub your body with mud before getting in the water

Look at the little salt rocks

And the big ones.

We swam at the pool afterwards, then came back down to the Sea for sunset. It was such a gorgeous sunset that night - some nights it is really cloudy and hazy, but this one was perfect. Here comes lots of pictures during and after sunset :).

We enjoyed dinner at the hotel restaurant, a good night sleep, and the next morning said bye to the beautiful sea and were off to Mt. Nebo and Madaba. Mt. Nebo is such a beautiful place to visit, and see where Moses once stood to view the Holy Land before he died.  I guess I've been so many times, that I hardly took any pictures this go-around. Here is a sign at the top of the mountain that I love. On a clear day you can see into Palestine and this sign tells you the distance to different cities.

The church that has been under renovation was recently completed, look at the gorgeous stained glass inside.

Next stop was Madaba, the mosaic capital of the world. This is the famous Holy Land mosaic map in St. George's church, from the 4th century. You are looking at the Jordan River and Jerusalem

I don't remember what this is....do you read Greek?

Boys waiting patiently outside our favorite mosaic shop.

Madaba is such a lively town and always seems to be busy!

Next stop was the Archeological Park, where you can see some of the oldest mosaics in the world. This is the famous Madaba Tree of Life, that is found in the back of a cellar of the park. It's really dusty in there, and you can pour water over the mosaic to bring the colors to life. Amazing!

This is Hippolytus Hall, which is part of the Church of the Virgin, which was built above the hall of a Madaba mansion that was built around the 6th century, and re-discovered in 1982!

Everyone enjoyed the day touring, and we enjoyed some sweets on the way home.

Aaron left the next day to go back to California. It was so fun to have him here, and all the time we got to spend together. The boys love their Uncle Aaron and know they are always in for a good time with him. We love you Aaron, and look forward to the next time we can you again!

We had a few more days with my parents and enjoyed time at home together reading books, building puzzles, and playing outside.

My parents and Tes re-hit it off great and enjoyed the few weeks together. The last time they saw each other was in Kuwait in 2014. They adore her, and we are so thankful for the love she has for our family, and how well she takes care of us!

It is never easy to say bye to my parents, but we are so thankful for the help my mom gave us when Nathan was away, the extended time we had together, great quality time with the boys, fun memories made, and them getting to experience day-to-day life with us. We love you very much and look forward to your next time in Jordan!

Tour of Jordan Part 2: Petra for Thanksgiving

Next stop was the town of Wadi Musa, to visit Little Petra and Petra. We arrived mid-day, checked into the hotel, and headed to Little Petra. Little Petra, also known as the "cold canyon," which it was, is a little north of Petra. It is a Nabatean site from what people believe to be created in the 1st century BC, with buildings carved into the walls of the canyons, and it is believed that people housed visiting traders on the Silk Road here. We all enjoyed walking through the canyon, exploring the caves and buildings, and climbing all over the rocks!

Mini Siq, leading to the mini Treasury building.

These boys did lots of climbing!

Aaron and one of the Bedouins

Caleb found this 'treasure' in one of the caves, and wanted me to take a picture of it for him.

Brrr, it was cold!

Can you guess what the boys wanted to do.....

Jump, jump, jump!

We had fun exploring the area!

Next stop was Petra by night. I went with my folks and Aaron, and Nathan stayed back with the boys. It's such a neat experience to see. Three times a week, Petra lines the entrance and Siq trail (almost 2 miles long) with votive candles all the way to the Treasury. When you arrive at the Treasury, there are endless candles and the rocks are lit by beautiful lights. It was really cold, but we enjoyed the traditional music, tea, and a story about Petra from one of the Bedouins. This is a must do if you visit! Leading up to the Treasury.

The Treasury was beautifully lit in many colors!

The next day, we all went to Petra. Nathan, Aaron and I walked about 9 miles that day, and my folks and boys rode several animals throughout the park - a horse to the entrance of the Siq, we all walked through the Siq, a donkey from the Treasury to the Monastery and back down, a camel from the base of the Monastery to the Treasury, and a horse and carriage through the Siq!

Walking through the Siq, just look at all of the layers of color on these beautiful rocks!

One of the many horse and carriages coming through.

Pit stops :)

We made it to the Treasury!

Dad and Aaron

Benjamin and a local - he makes friends every where he goes!

Donkeys for the day

Hello....up close and personal :)

Mom on the donkey by the Royal tombs.

Heading down the old Roman road towards the base of the Monastery

The boys rode a donkey together and were such good sports all day! This was the beginning of the trip up to the Monastery. It was pretty steep and scary, but everyone did a great job and held on tight!

Dad rode the donkey on the way up, but said he'd rather walk down!

Almost there...the last bit we parked the donkeys and everyone had to walk. What a gorgeous view!

We made it! Lots of photo ops :)

The route to/from the Monastery was lined with bedouins selling scarves and all kinds of trinkets from their tents. I loved all the bright colors!

Caleb especially loved the treasures :)

Heading down the path...Benjamin and our guide were singing songs and making people passing by laugh!

At the base of the Monastery, Nathan and my brother broke off to hike through the tombs, and my parents and the boys hopped on camels.  I followed on foot, and really underestimated how fast a camel can walk. I was booking it the entire time to keep up, and even broke a sweat in the cold weather!

It's sad to see the little kids trying to sell things. This little boy was selling rocks.

We all met up back at the Treasury...

Then they went from a camel to a horse and carriage to the entrance of the park, and we met them there a while after.

That night we ate a typical Jordanian meal at the hotel for Thanksgiving dinner, and we all slept well! So much to be thankful for, especially for our family being together for Thanksgiving, for the first time in 5 years!

Next post, Dead Sea, Madaba, and Mt. Nebo....